Your CoD Points are on the line and we’re expecting you to win big! To start, we’re throwing you through the gauntlet in the tier-based Gun Game. After that, we’re taking a look at Sticks & Stones, challenging you with some of the most precision-based weapons in the game. Take heed of these Pro Tips to ensure you come out on top in these Wager Matches.

Gun Game

Success in Gun Game is simple: get off to a good start. Be precise with the first two weapons, the Python Speed Reloader and Makarov Dual Wield, making sure you’re within effective range before testing their limited ammo capacities. Moving quickly off of these handguns is crucial in gaining an advantage early on in the match.

Once you reach the sniper rifles and launchers, it’s time to slow your playstyle again. Stick to the outskirts of the map and use their long range abilities to win out over other weapons. Lower tiered players may catch up quickly with their fast killing weapons, but get your shots in to maintain your lead.

The final two weapons bring back the need for precision. Kills can be difficult to achieve with the Crossbow and Ballistic Knife, requiring single-shot hits on a moving target. Try to catch people with sniper rifles and launchers at this late stage of the match, whose sluggish handling weapons make them easy targets up close.

Sticks & Stones

While winning Gun Game depends on getting off to a good start, success in Sticks & Stones depends entirely on how you end the match. You can be bankrupted at any time, so no lead is truly safe until match time hits 0:00.

With a continuous Spy Plane and precision weapons in play, the last thing you should be doing is standing still. Take care in aiming your weapons, but strafe and jump afterwards to avoid enemy projectiles. In most one-on-one engagements, you’re better off switching to another weapon than stopping to reload your current one. When all else fails, knifing can be a simple solution to a tricky situation.

Switch to a more defensive playstyle once you’ve amassed a good amount of points, staying mobile in areas with limited lines of sight. Don’t discount the advantages of evading an enemy altogether, firing explosive tips on the ground behind you to stop advancing enemies. Remember that the points leader glows yellow on the minimap, so your best bet may be to sit back in second or third place until the waning moments of the match. With a well-placed Tomahawk near the very end, you can bring the ultimate humiliation to the enemy.

How have your Wager Match tactics refined over the past year? Let us know in the comments below and in the forums. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube, and be sure to follow Treyarch’s Twitter feed (@Treyarch) for the most up to date Black Ops info.